Steering Committee Members

Current steering members for this work include Dr. Lynne Fitzhugh, executive director and president, Colorado Literacy and Learning Center, Mike Pickering, chief operating officer, Colorado Literacy and Learning Center & zone superintendent - District 49, Anne Borris, doctoral student and parent of two students with dyslexia, Janie Harvey, K-12 literacy specialist, and Rebecca Thompson, principal at ALLIES, District 49.

Dr. Lynne Fitzhugh received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Southern Methodist University with a concentration in learning disabilities. Dr. Fitzhugh is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and Qualified Instructor (QI) and a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist in the State of Texas. An expert in dyslexia and related learning disabilities, she has been a featured speaker at both local and national conferences. Her publications include various articles on dyslexia, writing disabilities, teacher preparation and education issues. Dr. Fitzhugh is an Associate Professor and Director of the Reading Institute at Colorado College. She serves on the national boards of the International Dyslexia Association and the Academic Language Therapy Association.

Dr. Mike Pickering is the Zone Superintendent for the POWER Zone in School District 49 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ahead of his appointment to zone superintendent in 2013 and as the former curriculum, instruction, assessment and professional development administrator for the zone he provided the leadership needed to make significant progress with innovation initiatives including supporting the creation of the first zone of innovation of its size in the state of Colorado. Dr. Pickering brings a diverse range of educational leadership experiences. He has served as a teacher, a building level administrator, and a zone/district level administrator. His formal education includes a bachelor of fine arts, a master's in curriculum and instruction and a doctorate in educational leadership, research and policy. Most recently, in his role as chief operating officer for the Colorado Literacy and Learning Center, he has been working to expand opportunities across Colorado for students who struggle to read, focusing specifically on students who either fit a profile for, or are diagnosed with, dyslexia. His goal is to ensure all students have the ability to receive the highest quality and most targeted reading interventions possible, all in a free and public educational setting.

Ms. Anne Boris is a former marketing executive with twenty years of experience in marketing communications, advertising and branding. She has an undergraduate degree in modern European History from Harvard University and an MBA, with a concentration in Marketing and Organizational Behavior, from Northwestern University. Ms. Boris is a parent of three dyslexic children and has a passion for the field of learning differences. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in school psychology with a focus on early identification and intervention for dyslexic students. For the last nine years, she has led a support group in central Denver for families of children with dyslexia and ADHD, creating partnerships between her children’s school, the International Dyslexia Association and the Colorado Reading Center. Ms. Boris is an active member of COKID, a parent-led advocacy group supporting the needs of dyslexic children across the state. She is dedicated to creating supportive learning environments and improving outcomes for all students. Ms. Boris, a former NCAA swimmer, Harvard record holder, and All American, enjoys traveling with her husband and three boys, skiing and running.

Mrs. Janie Harvey served struggling readers as an interventionist at SkyView Academy in Highlands Ranch for 10 years. Currently, she trains teachers and parents in the Literacy Intervention Specialist Certification Program (LISCP) in the Denver area. She earned her bachelor's degree in technical journalism from Colorado State University, but discovered her true passion when she herself went through LISCP in 2010, and completed her master’s in teaching at Colorado College. She is a Certified Academic Language Therapist, and enjoys providing therapy to children, as well as training teachers and parents in the structured language methods critical to dyslexic readers’ success.Janie also serves as Treasurer on the board of the Academic Language Therapy Association Rocky Mountain Chapter.

Mrs. Rebecca Thompson is the Director of Academic Services at the Academy for Literacy, Learning and Innovation Excellence (ALLIES) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Teaching and Special Education from Western Michigan University and her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Her experiences as an elementary teacher, a special educator and a literacy coach, all led to her desire to find a solution for the students she watched slowly slipping through the cracks; the ones whose disability was magically “hidden in a sea of strengths.” While working as an Assistant Principal for 11 years in a Title I school she became a Certified Dyslexia Screener. As a dyslexia screener and MTSS Consultant, Rebecca began to identify the characteristics of Dyslexia in students at Odyssey Elementary School and help educators and families to increase their knowledge of Dyslexia and understand the struggles of their children. In 2014 she led a team of 6 classroom teachers and 2 Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs) to create a Literacy Excellence school within a school. Together they began the innovative journey into identification and remediation of students with a profile for Dyslexia on a grand scale; the first school in Colorado to take such a leap. In the fall of 2017 she created and directed the first public school to serve students with characteristics of Dyslexia and its comorbidities. Her passion is to help each student to “find their way” in the educational system, both academically and emotionally, no matter where they are in their journey. She currently resides in Falcon, Colorado and enjoys hiking and exploring with her husband and their two children and of course, curling up with a good book!